Differential device.



0. GULLMN. DIFFERENTIAL DEVIGB.

APPLICATION H LED OCT. 16. 1911. '1,01 8,515.24,` Patented Feb.27,11912;

V/A//f/w'af? Ifo CUZ 17126117; fmnm.

OTTO CULLMAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DIFFERENTIAL DEVICE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application filed October 1G, 1911. Serial No. 654,950.

To all whom it' may concern.'

Be it known that l, OTTO CULLMAN, a citizenV ot the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential Devices, ofwhich the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to differential devices which are mounted on thepower' axle of motor propelled vehicles, to permit the vehicle to bedriven from a straight course without slipping of the propelling wheelsthereof.

To those skilled in the art it is known that at times one oi thepropelling wheels of a vehicle having` a differential device on the axlethereof does not turn, while the other of said propelling wheels isturning, as when one of said wheels is in a hole, against anobstruction, or on wet clay; and only by locking said differentialdevice can both wheels be made to-turn. And the object oi this inventionis to obtain a pinion and gear differential device, of t-he usual type,which can be locked by the driver ot the vehicle to which it isattached, so that the propelling wheels of said vehicle will necessarilybe turned in unison.

A further object of the invention is to obtain a device which is easilyoperated, simple in construction, durable and not liable to get out oforder.

A further object is to obtain a device of the kind named which willautomatically unlock when released by the operator.

ln the drawing, Figure l is a vertical section of a device embodyingthis invention. Fig. 2 is an end View, with the greater part of thecasing of the device removed, to expose the working parts to view, andFig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of a pinion forming an elementof the device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

X is the shell or casing of a gear and pinion differential mechanismembodying this invention.

Y are the journal bearings provided in the casing of the device for thetwo part axle or propelling shaft Z, Z of a vehicle to which the deviceis applied, and y is the journal bearing which is provided for the motordriven shaft Z which actuates the gears and pinions of the device.

A is a bevel gear, on driving shaft y.

B is a bevel gear intermeshing with gear A and driven thereby.

B, B, are the sides ofthe frame of the device. The gear B is mounted onone of the sides B, and said sides form the bearings of the pinions andremaining gears of said device. Gear B is attached to one of the sidesBby bolts B. Sides B are respectively provided with hubs Z), and o whichturn lloosely on two part shaft Z, Z.

D, D, are the geared pinions which are rotatably mounted in side B ofthe frame. Pinions D, D', intermesh.

d, d', are the shafts or hubs of pinions D, D, respectively. The hub orshaft of one (or more) of the pinions D Aprojects beyond the bearingthereof and is cut away, as at d, on the said projecting part orportion.

'F E, are gear wheels, which respectively intermesh with pinions D, D.Gear wheels E, E', are provided with hubs c, e. Hubs c, e, arerespectively journaled in the hubs l), b, respectively. The hubs e, c',are provided with squared central apertures, and the adjacent ends oftwo part axle Z, Z, are squared to fit in said central aperturesrespectively so that the rotation of said hubs rotates said parts.

The construction -hereinbei'ore described with the exception of theprojection of the end of sha'l't d beyond the outer face of frame B andthe cutting away of a part of said projecting end, as at al, is theordinary and well known construction of gear and pinion differentialdevices.

F is a disk provided with hub Hub f is loosely mounted on the hub Z) offrame B (see Fig. l) and is provided with an annular groove f.

G is a bell crank pivoted on shaft or pin g. Bell crank Gr is providedwith fork G.

H, H, are bosses on the inner face of casing X in which shaft or pin gis held.

I, I, are pins in the ends of fork G. Pins I, I, lit into groove f sothat turning the belll crank on shaft g slides disk F on hub c.

lVhen pinions D are in the position illustrated in Figs. l and 2, thedisk F may be slid closely to frame B', the periphery of disk F at suchtime coming under the projecting ends of the hubs of pinions D, and saidpinions are thereby locked so that they cannot turn. Gears E, E, arethus locked together and must turn in unison.

J is a rod which is attached by pivot j to one end of bell crank G and Kis a spring on rod J yieldingly holding said rod in position so thatdisk F is out of engagement With the projecting ends of the hubs CZ.

To operate the device force is applied to the rod J, tending to movev itin the direction indicated by arrow L, Fig. l. As soon as the severalhubs Z get into the position illustrated in Fig. l the rod J vvill movein l said direction and disk F will slide under or into engagement Withthe projecting end of hubs d and Will prevent rotation of said hubs. Onreleasing the pressure on the rod J the spring K will return it to itsinitial position, releasing said disk F from engagement With said hubs(l.

I elaim;- l

l. In a gear and pinion differential device, bearings, gear wheels andpinions rotatably mounted in the'bearings, the pinions intermeshing andthe gear Wheels intermeshing With their respective pinions and one endof the shaft of one of said pinions projecting beyond the bearingthereof, with the part of said projected end which is on one sidev of agiven diameter removed from said shaft, a movable disk, means to rnovesaid disk underneath the projecting end of said pinion shaft when thesaid diameter is substantially tangential to the periphery of said disk,and means to yieldingly hold said disk away from underneath saidprojecting end.

2. In a gear and pinion differential device, bearings, gear Wheels andpinions rotatably mounted in the bearings, the pinions intermeshing andthe gear Wheels intermeshing with their respective pinions and one endof the shafts of said pinions projecting beyond the bearings thereof,With the parts of said projected ends which are one side of givendiameters removed from said shafts, a movable disk and means to movesaid disk underneath the projecting ends of said pinionshafts When thesaid diameters are all substantially tangential to the periphery of saiddisk.

oTTo CULLMAN.

In the presence ofv CHARLES TURNER BROWN, C. A. ADAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

